Is Boarding Dangerous for Your Dog?

Dog boarding kennels offer a convenient place for your dog to stay when you’re traveling, but are they safe? While it’s understandable to be concerned about leaving your dog among strangers and other dogs in an unfamiliar location, you don’t need to worry as long as you choose a reputable boarding facility that provides high-quality service. These are some of the potential issues you might be worried about and how to avoid them.

We wouldn’t exactly say these are “dangers”, but they might be concerns for some people leaving their furry friends with a dog boarding facility. However, you really shouldn’t worry any more about these things happening while your dog is boarded than if a friend were staying at your house watching over Fido.

Illness

You can expect your dog to be exposed to germs from other dogs at a boarding facility, such as the bacteria and viruses that cause kennel cough. Thankfully, there’s an easy and highly effective way to lower your dog’s risk of illness. Make sure your dog is up-to-date on all of her shots, and only board her at a facility that requires all dogs to be current on their vaccinations. You can also reduce your dog’s risk of illness by making sure that the boarding facility regularly cleans the kennels and play areas (which we do extensively).

Injuries

If you choose a boarding facility that offers playtime, your dog will be able to goof around with other dogs. Since some dogs play rough, this might make you worry about your dog being injured or getting into a fight. You can help lower the chance of this happening by choosing boarding kennels that evaluate all dogs on temperament and behavior before allowing them to join in on playtime. We nearly eliminate the risk of dog fights by requiring all of our dog to go through a temperament assessment. Dogs that are too aggressive won’t be allowed to stay with us. We also require dogs over the age of six months to be neutered or spayed in order to further reduce the risk of confrontations.

Emergencies

There’s a chance that your dog could get sick or have a medical emergency while at a boarding facility, just as she could at home. While this is rare, it’s a good reason to look for dog boarding that has staff members on hand at all hours. Make sure you provide consent to let staff take your dog to the closest animal hospital if necessary. DoGone Fun! is located within a mile of three animal hospitals, so if something does happen, you can rest assured that your dog can get the medical treatment they need promptly. Having staff around 24/7 also means your dog will be promptly evacuated in case of a fire or other emergency at the facility.